https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrnl8t9fduk&ab_channel=bazikrus
WHERE THE SOVIET UNION IS AT Brezhnev Politburo ruling committee of the Communist party Crushed all political disagreement Censors decided what could be published No freedom of religion or worship
GORBACHEV MAKES CHANGES Mikhail Gorbachev New ideas to fix Russian economy and society Glasnost openness Allowed churches Freed dissidents Allowed publication of books by banned authors Reporters investigated problems Officials criticized Perestroika economic restructuring Allowed managers to gain authority over farms and factories Small businesses allowed
GORBACHEV MOVES TOWARD DEMOCRACY Democratization gradual opening of political system Election of a new legislative body People tended to chose lesser-known candidates and reformers Foreign Policy Ronald Reagan (US) started spending money on military Led to an expensive arms race btw SU and US SU could not afford to keep up Signed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty Banned nuclear missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles
REFORMING THE ECONOMY AND POLITICS W/ more freedom, satellite states wanted same Nationalist movements start Lithuania March 1990 - First challenger to Soviet rule To force it back, Gorbachev ordered economic blockade Gorbachev feared might set example for other countries Jan 1991 Soviet troops attacked unarmed civilians in the capital 14 were killed, hundreds were wounded
THE SOVIET UNION FACES TURMOIL Gorbachev in trouble W/ Lithuania and slow economy, Gorbachev loses popularity Boris Yeltsin member of Parliament and former mayor of Moscow Criticized actions in Lithuania and pace of reforms June 1991 Yeltsin elected president of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION Hard-liners conservatives who opposed reform Argued SU lost role as the dominant force in Eastern Europe Vowed to undo Gorbachev reforms
MORE TURMOIL August Coup Aug 18, 1991 hardliners detained Gorbachev Demanded his resignation as SOVIET PRESIDENT Tanks and armored vehicles rolled into Moscow Protestors gather at parliament, where Yeltsin had his office Aug 20 hardliners ordered troops to attack but they refused Aug 21 military withdrew forces from Moscow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrnl8t9fduk&ab_channel=bazikrus Tushino airfield in Russia with Gorbachev allowing it, the Monsters of Rock concert played on this airfield. Bands: AC/DC, Pantera, Black Crowes, Metallica Official estimates have the crowd at 800,000 1 million people Unofficially estimate have the crowd at 1.5 million people
FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION Coup sparked anger against Communist party Gorbachev resigned Soviet parliament stopped party activities Estonia and Latvia declared independence Dec - all 15 republics independent Yeltsin met with all leaders to chart new course Formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) loose federation of former Soviet territories Dec 25, 1991 Gorbachev resigned as president of the SU SU ceased to exist
RUSSIA UNDER BORIS YELTSIN Yeltsin s problems Shock Therapy abrupt shift to free market economics Lowered trade barriers, removed price controls, and ended subsidies to state-owned industries Lead to high prices Factories shut down thousands of people out of work Led to a political crisis Legislators opposed policies by locking themselves in Parliament Yeltsin ordered building bombed many killed, others surrendered
RUSSIA UNDER BORIS YELTSIN Chechnya Rebels Chechnya declared its independence Area of Muslims in SW Russia Yeltsin denied it and sent in troops Aug 1996 signed a cease-fire but it did not help 1999 fighting started again Yeltsin resigned Vladimir Putin named acting president
RUSSIA UNDER VLADIMIR PUTIN Putin and Chechnya Aggressively attacked rebels, initially welcomed by Russians Brought violence to Moscow Chechen rebels seized the Dubrovka theater in Moscow and 150 people died in rescue attempt War dragged on Today its relatively quiet, but rebellion going on politically
RUSSIA UNDER VLADIMIR PUTIN Economic, Political, and Social Problems Russia is moving to greater participation in world trade Modernizing banks, insurance, and tax codes Still suppressing freedom of press and religion
The Berlin Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsplt7z9jo8&ab_channel=historydocumentaryfilms